Lemont Fire District to Celebrate 125 Years with Annual Open House

The will celebrate 125 years of service this weekend during its annual open house event.

Saturday's open house will run 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fire Station 1, 15900 New Ave. The event is held every year as a kick-off to Fire Prevention Week, which will be observed Oct. 9-15 this year by fire departments across the United States.

Sponsors for Saturday's event include the Lemont Citgo Refinery, ProLogis and Seneca Petroleum. Food will be provided by Romeoville's Ats-a-Nice Pizza, which is owned by Lemont resident and Fire Commissioner Paul Heatherington.

The open house will have a number of activities for kids and families, including inflatable playgrounds and opportunities to tour some of Lemont's emergency vehicles. The LifeStar helicopter, Illinois State Fire Marshal and Illinois Fire Safety Alliance will all be present during the event.

Jeff Hawthorne, director of fire safety and prevention for the Lemont Fire Protection District, said Rev. Glenn Bergmark, a district trustee, will be honored during the open house.

"It's going to be a great event for the firefighters and their families, so we hope the community will come out and help us celebrate the anniversary," Hawthorne said.

The Lemont Fire Department was incorporated on March 14, 1886, following the completion of the town's water main system. The department consisted of two companies of 11 men each. They operated out of two houses until 1956, when the department moved to 416 Main St.

By 1973, the Lemont Fire Protection District had grown to employ 52 active members and cover 33 square miles in Will, DuPage and Cook counties. In 1976, Fire Station 1 was constructed on New Avenue to accommodate the growth.

Today, the district covers an area of approximately 40 square miles, serving the Village of Lemont and portions of Woodridge, Darien, Bolingbrook and Homer Glen.

Hawthorne said the department is looking forward to celebrating the progress made during its 125 years in Lemont.

"We are as proud of the legacy those pioneers established as we are of the highly trained professional firefighter-paramedics who respond when someone calls 9-1-1 for help with one of today's diverse emergency situations," he said in a release.

Lemont Fire Chief Carl Churulo offered his thoughts on the department's 125th anniversary:

"The anniversary of the Lemont Fire District is a huge time in the history of our department. This has given us a time to remember our past, and those who have served for so many years. As we look back and remember 1886 and try to think of what they had to go through for equipment, vehicles and trying to get residents to want to fight fires, I am sure they had their major struggles. But they made it through and did well.

"As I look back over the past seven years since I first began serving this district, I look at the many changes that we have gone through, the struggles — maybe not as bad as 1886, but struggles nonetheless. I can tell you we are a better emergency service for what we have gone through and will get better as I fulfill my contract with the district.

"... I have really enjoyed my time since coming here, I have been welcomed by so many people and really feel at home today.   am honored to have been able to serve here, especially at a time such as the 125th anniversary. We have a board of trustees that has assisted us in bringing the district to where it is today, especially after they were elected almost 12 years ago at a time that was very difficult for the district. They have brought things together and our personnel are appreciative of that."

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